Starlight
by heartlines
Summary: SV Michael Vaughn leaves to go to France and comes back to LA 5 years later and finds himself in love with his sister's best friend.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Starlight

Author: Kat

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to JJ Abrams, Bad Robot, and

ABC.

A/N: This is my first Alias story, which I've posted anyway. I originally planned to

submit this to the FFWF challenge but I didn't make the deadline, so I just decided

to post it in parts. Feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Special dedication to Lexie-chan (because she demanded it).

Chapter 1:

_The stars were bright, millions of them blinking down happily at the lone figure, his only light in the dark. They were a rare sight in __Los Angeles__; stars were usually swallowed up whole by the smog and lights of the city, hiding them from view._

_Not in this park. In this park where there were very few streetlamps, and cars rarely passed by late at night, it was always quiet, only the rustling of leaves, the chirping of crickets, and the hooting of owls breaking through the quiet of the night. The light of the stars often peeked down through the trees and in the clearing of the park, nothing hid them from view._

_Michael Vaughn loved coming here at night. At 21 years old, this park still held the same magic that it did when he first discovered it at 15. He had just moved to LA from __France__ with his sister and his mom and although he loved them both very much, he just wanted to be by himself sometimes. This was the perfect getaway spot._

_Michael was leaving for France again, this time without his sister and his mother to accompany him, they were staying in LA while he took a job in __Paris__. And although he knows that he should really be spending his last night in the States with his family, he couldn't help but crave the peace of the park._

_So there he was at 11 o' clock at night, lying on the hard wood of a picnic table, staring up at the heavens above him. _

_"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice suddenly cut through the silence._

_Michael sat upright, peering through the darkness for the owner of the voice. She sat down beside him and Michael knew right away who it was._

_Sydney__?" Michael asked disbelievingly. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I went for a walk. I ended up here." She was gazing up intently at the stars, not even bothering to look at him._

_"Syd, it's 11 o' clock. You just fancied a walk at this time of night?" Michael smiled in spite of himself. Sydney was his little sister's best friend, he's known her for 6 years. He could tell when she was lying. The next thing she was going to do was change the subject._

_"What are **you** doing here so late?" __Sydney__ asked._

_Michael's smile grew wider. Gotcha._

_Sydney__ finally turned to look at him and Michael's smile faded. Sitting there so close to him, her features bathed in moonlight, the light of the stars illuminating the sparkle of her brown eyes. Sydney suddenly didn't look like just his kid sister's best friend anymore, the 9 year old he had met 6 years ago had grown up. She looked older. She looked…different._

_"Michael?" __Sydney__'s voice snapped Michael out of his daze. _

_She was looking at him with concern etched on her face and he realized she'd been waiting for an answer. An answer to what?_

_"I'm sorry, what was that again?"_

_"I asked you what you're doing here so late. Don't you have an early flight tomorrow?"_

_Michael looked away, finding he couldn't stand the intensity of her gaze as she studied his face in the darkness, searching for any hint that something might be wrong._

_"Yeah, I do," he answered. "I just, you know, needed to get some air."_

_"Amelie and Ella threw you one rockin' going away party?" __Sydney__ asked, naming his mother and sister respectively. They could both be very excited and a little overenthusiastic about things sometimes. Not that they were excited about Michael going away, they were just happy he got the job he's always wanted._

_"Yeah, something like that."_

_"They're really going to miss you, you know," __Sydney__ said._

_He turned to look at her, "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"_

_"This is a great opportunity for you," __Sydney__ said earnestly._

_Michael nodded and lay back down on the table. __Sydney__ looked down at him for minute before lying down on her back beside him. _

_"You really shouldn't be out here this time of night," Michael said._

_"You're here. I'm safe."_

_"You had no way of knowing I'd be here," he replied._

_Sydney__ was silent. "I'm going to miss you too, you know," she confessed._

_Michael grinned at this. "I thought you said I was nothing but a conceited jerk."_

_Sydney__ laughed as the memory of she had called him that hit her. "Well, you can be sometimes!"_

_"And I also recall a time when you called me a stubborn asshole," he turned his head to look at __Sydney__. "You had quite the vocabulary for a 13 year old."_

_"You should hear the vocabulary I have now. Ella even taught me some French swear words."_

_Michael laughed at this._

_"And you're really one to talk," __Sydney__ continued. "You've called me some not so nice things too over the years."_

_"Like what?" Michael asked innocently, pretending not to know what she was talking about._

_"Like a bratty tag-along."_

_"You were 10 at the time, and you and Ella would follow me and my friends wherever we went. Totally not cool."_

_"Yeah, especially when you were trying to make out with your girlfriends."___

_Michael looked affronted. "You make it sound like I was some sort of player or something."_

_Sydney__ raised an eyebrow. "And you're saying you weren't?"_

_"I only had 3 serious girlfriends in high school."_

_"And in college?"_

_Michael averted his eyes and Sydney grinned smugly, knowing that she had him cornered there. _

_"Syd?"__ Michael asked, completely serious now._

_"Yeah?"___

_"I'm going to miss you too," he said honestly._

_She opened her mouth, as if to come back with a smartass comment. But then changed her mind and closed it again when saw that he was actually serious. She smiled, a full blown __Sydney__ smile, with dimples and all. The smile that Michael had always had a hard time resisting._

_As Michael looked at her, the light from the moon and the stars reflecting themselves in her eyes, he was suddenly overcome with an urge to close the small distance between them and kiss her. It was inexplicable, the way he was feeling right now. In all the years he had known __Sydney__, he had never seen her this way before, never felt this way towards her before. But he couldn't do it; he couldn't kiss her because he shouldn't be feeling this way. She was only 15 for God's sake! Not to mention he was leaving for __France__ tomorrow._

_Instead of doing what he really wanted to do, which was kiss her, Michael took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together. The air between them had changed, it was cackling with electricity and he knew she felt it too. She stared deeply into his eyes, and he could tell she understood. Together, they turned their heads to look up at the stars above them, letting the silence of the night envelope them, not wanting to ruin the moment by speaking._

_Michael gripped __Sydney__'s hand tightly, and in that moment nothing had ever felt more right to him than just lying there with __Sydney__. It was like he was seeing __Sydney__ for the first time that night, and in some ways he truly was. That night he saw a shadow, a glimmer of the amazing woman Sydney was going to be, its like pieces of the past, present and future had pieced itself together before his very eyes and the product promised to be something absolutely wonderful. That night Michael's heart had made a silent promise, he just wasn't aware of it yet._

tbc….


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: A huge THANK YOU to Edy, who kindly agreed to beta this chapter for me and did a wonderful job of it.

Chapter 2

"Michael!"

Michael turned in the direction of the voice calling his name and a large grin broke out on his face when he saw who it was. His sister was shoving her way through the crowds of people, dodging bags, suitcases and trolleys, trying to make her way to him. LAX was crowded and busy, streaming with people traveling to and from Los Angeles. Michael made his own way through the crowd and met Ella halfway. He dropped the bag he was carrying and picked her up in his arms, swinging her around. Ella laughed and wrapped her arms around Michael's neck.

"Put me down!" she squealed.

Michael did as he was told. "I missed you, squirt."

Ella rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was inwardly pleased. "Duh. We just saw each other last Christmas. You're getting too sappy on me, big bro."

It was true; they _had_ just seen each other last Christmas. But Michael couldn't help but think Ella changed a little bit every time he saw her. She wasn't a little girl anymore; she was 20 years old now and at least 2 inches taller than when he left for France five years ago. Her honey blond hair was longer, hanging halfway down her back. Her eyes were a jade green, and probably the only physical trait the two of them shared. Ella was a beautiful young woman, but she would always be his baby sister.

"Michel." A voice said from over Michael's shoulder.

He spun around. "Mom!" He cried, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Oh, my little boy," she whispered as she returned his embrace enthusiastically. "You're home."

She pulled back, her eyes bright and shining. "Well, come on, you two. Don't just stand there, we have to get home. Michel, you must be exhausted."

His mother wrapped her arm around Ella's and together they started to make their way out of the airport. Michael picked up his bags and followed them. "I'm fine, Mom I slept on the plane."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Well, you must be hungry. Airplane food is horrible."

Michael couldn't help but smile at his mother's doting. _I'm home_, he thought happily.

* * *

"Why are there no lights on?" Michael asked his mother as they entered the foyer of their house. He put down his suitcases and reached for the light switch.

"Surprise!!!"

As soon as Michael had turned on the lights, over a dozen or so people jumped out from their respective hiding places. All of his close college friends were there and about a handful of people he either didn't know or didn't recognize.

A banner that said 'Welcome Home Michael' hung in the living room. A huge grin spread over Michael's face as he took all of it in.

Eric Weiss, his best friend, came rushing forward. "Hey man!" He shook Michael's hand in greeting.

"Hey!" Michael said happily.

"So did you bring back any of those éclairs?"

Michael laughed. The first year Michael had returned to LA for Christmas he had brought home a huge box of chocolate éclairs and Eric had fallen in love with them, he'd been pestering Michael to bring some home every year since.

Ella, who had just walked in the door, lugging one of Michael's bags behind her, heard this and rolled her eyes. "God, Eric, think of your stomach first why don't you?"

"Hey, you love those éclairs just as much as I do!" Eric said. He examined her lips carefully. "Wait a minute, is that chocolate on your lips?" He looked even closer.

"It is! You've already had one!" Eric exclaimed.

Ella wiped her mouth self-consciously and looked down guiltily at Michael's carry-on duffel bag. The zipper was half-way open. Sure enough, inside was a crumpled white box decorated with chocolate fingerprints. Ella blushed.

Michael took the éclairs from the bag, "Now don't kill each other, there's plenty enough for the both of you. I want you to share, kids."

Eric and Ella eagerly took the box from him and began devouring the éclairs with gusto.

"Man these éclairs are 'eaven," Eric said through mouthfuls. "Ish goad doo 'ave yo ohm, Ike-y," he mumbled as he continued to stuff more and more éclairs into his mouth.

"It's good to be home," Michael smiled. After four years of sharing an apartment with Eric in college, Michael was quite adept at understanding Eric talk through mouthfuls of food. He watched them in amusement for a few seconds before going into the living room to greet his guests.

Craig, a friend from college and Michael and Eric's partner-in-crime in drinking and sports went over to him and shook his hand. "Welcome home Mike!"

"Thanks, man."

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." A beautiful woman with long dark hair came up beside Craig. "Mike, this is Mylene, my girlfriend. Mylene, Mike."

"It's nice to meet you," Michael extended has hand and she shook it.

She smiled, "Craig's told me a lot about you."

"Like how he can never beat me at pool or basketball?" Michael smirked.

Craig raised an eyebrow. "Are you challenging me, Vaughn?"

Michael shrugged. "Feel up to a game this weekend? It's been awhile since we played. Who knows? Maybe you've actually improved."

"Oh, you're on, Vaughn," Craig grinned. "Be ready. I'm gonna kick your ass."

Mylene, who had been watching this exchange with obvious amusement, cut in. "Is this one of those male bonding things?"

"Mike was a hustler in college. He needs to get his ass whipped badly or else he gets all smug" Craig said.

"Well," Mylene said. "It's better than you getting drunk with Eric."

Michael excused himself and began greeting his other guests. Soon Michael was being bombarded with questions about his life in Paris and his new job here in LA, and for the next half-hour or so Michael kept them enthralled with stories of France.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a woman standing off to the side talking to his mother. His curiosity piqued, he excused himself from the small group assembled around him and made his way over to them.

"Hey mom," he said.

"Michel," Amelie looked up at him and smiled. "You remember Sydney, of course."

The woman turned around and to Michael's great surprise, it _was_ Sydney. He could hardly believe his eyes; she definitely did not look like the Sydney Bristow he remembered. Her tall body was no longer lanky, it had filled out and had very feminine curves. Her hair was shorter now, shoulder length. It framed her face beautifully.

"Uh…h-hey," Michael stuttered. He couldn't help it, she just looked too damn beautiful, even in just a t-shirt and jeans.

Sydney raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to stand there? Don't I get a hug?"

She wrapped her arms around him and Michael gladly returned the hug. He couldn't help but notice that her hair still had the same familiar strawberry smell.

Amelie Vaughn excused herself and left the two alone. Michael pulled away from Sydney reluctantly, but he couldn't wipe the broad grin off his face. He hadn't seen Sydney since that night at the park. His mom and Ella visited him and their relatives in France during the summer, and Michael came home to LA each Christmas. But Sydney always went with her father to visit family in Canada during winter break.

"Welcome home," Sydney said, giving him the patented Sydney smile, dimples and all, that he somehow hadn't noticed that he missed so much until right at this very moment.

"Thanks," Michael replied. "How have you been?"

"I've been great."

"I heard you're attending UCLA."

Sydney nodded. "Major in English Lit."

"Ella told me. I have to say I wasn't that surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always were a bookworm," Michael shrugged. "Besides, wasn't your mom a Lit. Professor at UCLA?"

"You still remember," Sydney said softly.

"Of course I do," Michael frowned. "Syd, I know we haven't seen each other in years, but did you think I could just forget about you?"

Sydney shrugged absently and looked at her watch. "I should go; I have an early class tomorrow."

"Did you drive over? I can give you a ride home," Michael offered. He winced inwardly, hoping he didn't sound as eager as he felt.

"No, that's alright. I brought my car," Sydney said. "Besides you should really get back to your guests."

Michael glanced over his shoulder where Eric was entertaining the guests with his own version of the Macarena. People were laughing so hard they were almost crying. "I think they're fine. Beer and sugar does not make a good combination for Eric."

Sydney laughed and waved to Ella, who was holding a video camera, taping Eric.

"Blackmail material," she mouthed to them.

Michael and Sydney laughed harder. He missed her laugh, it had an almost musical quality to that he didn't remember noticing before.

"I really should get going," Sydney told him once she had recovered.

Michael walked her to the door and she hugged him again. "Good night Michael. It's good to have you back."

His voice became softer. "Night Syd."

Michael watched as Sydney walked towards her car. He stood there in the doorway for a minute silently debating with himself before making a decision.

"Syd," he called out just as she got to her car.

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to, uh, grab a cup of coffee sometime?" Michael asked.

Sydney looked a little hesitant at first but then she smiled. "Sure," she waved to Michael and got into her car. He stood there in the doorway watching her until her car was out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you once again to Edy for the beta. J

Chapter 3  
  
Michael couldn't help wondering what the hell he thought he was doing. He was sitting in a corner booth of House Blend, a small, cozy coffee shop near the UCLA campus, waiting for Sydney.  
  
He was meeting his sister's best friend for coffee.  
  
In his head he kept up a mantra of 'this is not a date, this is not a date, thisisnotadate, thisisnotadate…'  
  
But a part of him just didn't want to believe it. He sipped his latte and refrained from looking at his watch. It wasn't like she was late or anything, they had agreed to meet at 4 and he had gotten there ten minutes early.  
  
The tinkle of the bell sounded. Michael looked up towards the door and literally felt his heart skip a beat. Sydney was walking towards him with a beautiful smile on her face.  
  
"Hey." She sat down across from him and checked her watch. "Have you been waiting long?"  
  
"No, just a couple of minutes," Michael tried to sound nonchalant. "I got here early."  
  
A waitress came over and Sydney ordered a cappuccino. "So, the past five years you've been in Paris, did you check out any of the bookstores I recommended?"  
  
Trust Sydney to open up a conversation by talking about books.  
  
"Actually, I did spend quite a bit of time at Gilbert Joseph."  
  
Sydney's eyes lit up. "Gilbert Joseph? Did you see…" She trailed off and frowned slightly.  
  
Michael hid his smile behind his coffee cup.  
  
Gilbert Joseph was both a bookstore and a music store. "Hey—which section did you actually spend time in?" Sydney rolled her eyes as she realized that she already knew the answer to her question.  
  
"I've been pestering you to go to the J. Paul Getty Museum for years," Michael reminded her.  
  
"I prefer words to pictures," Sydney said.  
  
"And I prefer pictures to words," Michael countered. "I think it's time we finally call a truce and agree to disagree on the matter. You like books and I like paintings, let's leave it at that."  
  
"Fine," Sydney agreed.  
  
One of the things Michael had always liked about Sydney was how easy it was to talk to her. It amazed him how easily they fell back into their old banter.  
  
Michael noticed that Sydney was studying him carefully, the shadow of a smirk playing upon her lips.  
  
"What?" Michael asked. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling self-conscious from her scrutiny.  
  
"Ella told me about that French model you were dating," Sydney said.  
  
Michael felt his face go warm. He had a hunch that he knew where this was going and he did not like it one bit.  
  
"Oh, yeah? Well, that was over a long time ago," he played with the edges of a napkin, trying to look unconcerned. "It didn't even last long. Four months at the most."  
  
"Ella actually told me an interesting story," Sydney continued. "Her name was Isabelle, right? She was a ramp model?"  
  
"Yeah," Michael stared at his coffee, wishing he could drown in it.  
  
"So, it's true that you attended one of her fashion shows and when one of the male models got sick, they made you take his place?"  
  
Michael was going to kill Ella, he really was. She had promised not to tell anyone about that. He had paid her just to keep her mouth shut. This is the last time he let himself get blackmailed by his Ella Vaughn. He made a mental note to figure out a way to get revenge on his dear sister.  
  
Sydney took his lack of a response as a yes and laughed. She laughed so hard she cried.  
  
"I'm glad you find my public humiliation so amusing," Michael said dryly.  
  
"Oh my God," Sydney wiped her eyes as her laughter subsided. "I would have paid money to see you model."  
  
"Yeah well, I paid money so that Ella would keep her mouth shut about that."  
  
"Oh relax, it's not like she's told Eric or Craig or any of the other guys. Yet."  
  
Michael grumbled about stupid sisters under his breath, which only made Sydney laugh more.  
  
"How did it feel walking down the catwalk, Mr. Vaughn?" Sydney imitated a reporter and pretended to hold a microphone up to his mouth.  
  
Michael looked pained. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"  
  
Sydney grinned. "No, you're not. I'm having way too much fun with this. You should see your face, Michael; you're as red as a tomato."  
  
He looked at her and couldn't help but think that public humiliation was a small price to pay just to see her beautiful, dimpled smile.  
  
Sydney signaled for the waitress and they both had their coffees refilled.  
  
"Would you really have paid money just to see me embarrass myself?" Michael asked her.  
  
"Embarrass yourself? Michael, come on, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? I think you'd be a great model."  
  
Michael smiled, surprised. Sydney seemed to realize what she just said because her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink, which she tried and failed to hide behind her coffee cup.  
  
Michael inwardly cheered at this but wisely decided to change the subject. "How's college life treating you so far, Syd?"  
  
Sydney launched into a story about a Professor who failed nearly half the class last semester and Michael listened to her attentively, fascinated by the parts of her life he had missed. Michael told her about a kid he saw in Paris teaching unsuspecting and gullible tourists to say swear words, and Sydney described the frat parties that Ella has managed to drag her to.  
  
Neither one of them seemed to notice the time going by until a man Michael didn't know came up to their table.  
  
"Sydney," he said. "I didn't know you'd be here."  
  
Sydney looked up in surprise. "Danny! This is Michael Vaughn, Ella's brother. He just got back from France. Michael, this is Danny Hecht my, uh, boyfriend."  
  
Danny held out his hand and Michael shook it, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. Which really wasn't fair because Danny seemed like a nice enough guy. But he was dating Sydney.  
  
"It's nice to meet you," Danny said. He had a British accent, which Michael found irritating.  
  
"Are you done here, love?" Danny asked Sydney. "Maybe we can catch a movie or something."  
  
Sydney looked at Michael. He sensed her hesitation and hastened to reassure her. "It's okay, I need to be getting home anyway."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Positive."  
  
Sydney reached into her purse but Michael stopped her. "Syd, it's my treat."  
  
"Thank you," she said.  
  
Danny tugged at her hand a little as she got up. "Let's go."  
  
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked through the coffee shop. Sydney turned her head just as they reached the door and waved goodbye to Michael.  
  
Michael felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Of course she had a boyfriend. Just look at her, how could he have been naïve enough to think that she was actually single. Or that he even stood a chance of being with her. He was just her best friend's older brother, after all. She probably just saw him as a brother too.  
  
But in a tiny corner of Michael's heart, there was still a spark of hope. Even if it was just a small one. Because when Sydney had waved to him, there was no mistaking the look of regret he saw in her eyes.

A/N: I should have made this clear from the very beginning and I'm sorry I didn't, but this story is very AU, so no, Sydney is not involved with SD-6 and neither she or Vaughn are with the CIA.

I know a lot of you saw the whole boyfriend thing coming from a mile away but I had it planned from the very beginning so I just followed through with it.

Thank you all for reading and for your wonderful comments! J


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks a million to Edy who thoroughly saved this chapter. : )

Chapter 4:

Michael kicked the door of his apartment shut, struggling to balance the huge, heavy box in his arms. He dropped the box on the floor, not really caring if there was anything breakable or not in there anymore.

He leaned heavily against the door, trying to catch his breath. He and Eric had spent the entire day moving boxes and furniture into his new apartment. Michael's apartment was on the twelfth floor; he thanked God that the building had a good, working elevator.

Michael wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. Eric had disappeared earlier, leaving Michael to carry up the last box by himself.

Noise from the living room drifted into the hallway. Michael followed it and found Eric on his newly bought couch, beer in hand, watching ESPN on his widescreen TV. The place looked like a hurricane just passed through it, with boxes piled up everywhere. Some were even open with foam and plastic spilling over. Nonetheless, Eric had wasted no time setting up the TV and cable. The man had his priorities.

"Who's playing?" Michael asked as he sat down beside Eric.

"Replay of last night," Eric passed him a beer.

Michael looked at the screen and winced. The Kings had lost to the Islanders last night. He wasn't looking forward to watching his favorite hockey team get clobbered all over again.

"Do we have to watch this again? What's on ESPN2?"

"Golf."

Michael made a face and took a swig of his beer.

"This place is a mess," Eric said, stating the obvious.

"Ella's coming over tomorrow to help me unpack."

"Woman's touch," Eric nodded knowingly.

"Lord knows the pigsty you call a home could use a woman's touch," Michael laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," Eric rolled his eyes. "Let's not talk about my sorry love life, let's talk about _yours_."

"What love life?" Michael asked.

"Exactly," Eric nodded. "That's what worries me. You've been back in LA for over two weeks and you're still girlfriend-less. Word has it that the girlfriends in France were few and far between. Losing your touch with the ladies, Vaughn?"

It was true that he hadn't had that many girlfriends when he was in France­­-­he could count only two serious relationships and a handful of casual dates. It was nothing compared to when he was in college.

Michael couldn't quite explain this, even to himself. All he knew was that something inside him had changed. He thought carefully before answering. "I've changed. I'm tired of having a string of meaningless relationships. I want something serious, long-lasting."

Eric looked at him like he'd grown two heads. And then he laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it. This is a joke, right? What chick flick did Ella make you watch this time?"

Michael considered playing along, laughing it off and pretending it was all a joke. But the more he thought about it, the harder it became to deny that it was true. Michael did have a reputation for being a lady's man back in college…but he wasn't in college anymore. He was getting tired of playing the field. He had the feeling that he knew what, or rather _who_, was the catalyst for this change. But he wasn't ready to confront it just yet.

Michael's silence was a little too long for Eric's comfort. He turned to face Michael completely. "Man, you've got to be kidding me. What happened to your…, what did Aunt Trish call it? Ah yes, the patented Vaughn charm. You've always used it to your advantage and, I cannot for the life of me figure out how, but its always worked. "

"Things are different now," Michael said softly.

Eric studied him carefully for a few seconds, and then he just shrugged and downed the rest of his beer.

Michael wondered if he should tell Eric the truth. He was tired of keeping this inside, he needed to get it out in the open. Get another person's perspective.

"I think I'm in love," Michael blurted out. Okay, so he hadn't been meaning to say exactly _that_. One glance at Eric, and he knew he couldn't take it back. Maybe he didn't even want to.

Eric paused, his new beer bottle halfway to his mouth. "See! I knew you met someone!"

"Well, not really _met_. We just got reacquainted."

"I bet you did," Eric muttered, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Michael hit him on the shoulder. "It's not like that, Eric."

"Who is she?"

"Sydney," Michael muttered.

"What? Mike-y, I can't heeeaar you."

"Sydney," Michael said, louder this time. So maybe he was ready to confront it after all.

Eric nearly choked on his beer. "Sydney Bristow?!"

Michael bowed his head. "Yeah."

"Sydney Bristow, as in your sister's best friend?"

"Yes."

"You're in love with your sister's best friend?"

"Yes. Yes! I'm in love with my sister's best friend!" Saying it out loud brought a strange sort of relief.

"You do know that­­-,"

"She has a boyfriend?" Michael cut him off. "Yeah, I'm aware of that."

Eric nodded solemnly.

They sat in silence for awhile. The Kings were still losing, but neither of them was watching the game anymore.

"She _is_ hot though," Eric said.

"I swear to God, Eric, if you tell anyone about this…"

Eric put out his hands in front of him. "Relax, man. My lips are sealed."

"Do you think I stand a chance?" Michael asked casually.

"No chance in hell," Eric grinned.

Michael grinned back. This was a long running joke between the two of them. Every time Eric decreed it Michael always ended up with the girl in question.

He just prayed it would be no different this time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Knock knock._

Michael groaned and pulled his pillow over his head.

_Knock knock knock knock knock knock._

The knocking was louder now and more persistent.

Michael reluctantly got out of bed. He yawned and stretched as he made his way to the door, stumbling slightly over the many boxes scattered across the room.

"Ow!" He yelped as he stubbed his toe. "Damn."

_Knock knock knock knock._

"I'm coming!" Michael called out.

Michael finally got to the door. He opened it, rubbing his still sleep-filled eyes.

"Finally," Ella said impatiently. "I've been standing out here forever."

"Good morning to you too, little sister," Michael said. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Early? It's ten o' clock!"

Michael grunted and followed her into the living room.

"This place is a mess," Ella said, echoing Eric's words from the night before. She handed Michael the small paper bag she was carrying, along with a cup of coffee. "Eat that then go take a shower. I'm going to start trying to make this place semi-livable."

Michael gratefully took the coffee. Inside the bag were bagels, which he wolfed down quickly. He didn't realize how hungry he actually was.

"Shanks fo comin ower," he said through mouthfuls of food.

Ella looked at him in disgust. "Don't talk with your mouth full," she reprimanded, sounding eerily like their mother.

Michael swallowed. "Thanks for coming over."

"If I hadn't, you'd be living in this mess for weeks," she picked up one of the beer bottles scattered all over the coffee table. "Obviously you have priorities."

Michael could sense a lecture coming on and quickly pulled his puppy dog face, knowing that this got his sister every time.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Go. Go take a shower, then you can make yourself useful."

* * *

Michael came out of his shower, refreshed and wide awake. When he got to the living room he found it in larger disarray than before. Several boxes were unpacked, its contents scattered all over the room.

"How the hell is it possible that you have this much stuff?"Ella demanded.

Michael shrugged and picked up a stack of DVDs.

"Sydney and I are going to have to take you shopping," she sighed.

Michael dropped the DVDs. "Wait, what?"

"Shopping," Ella repeated. "You need a bigger CD rack, a magazine rack for the insane amount of Sports Illustrateds you have. I looked in your bedroom and you definitely need another nightstand…."

Ella continued to list the things he needed but Michael wasn't listening anymore. His mind had focused on one word, _Sydney_.

He waited until Ella stopped talking and went back to digging in one of his boxes before asking, in what he hoped was a casual manner. "What were you saying about Sydney?"

"We're going to take you shopping with us. It will have to be tomorrow though. We have too much to do here. She should be here any minute now to help out."

The DVDs that Michael had carefully stacked together once again slipped out of his hands. "Sydney's coming over?"

"Yeah," Ella said. "Are you trying to break those DVDs or something? That's the second time you've dropped them."

He didn't say anything.

Ella looked at him. "What is the big deal? It's just Sydney."

_Knock knock._

"There she is," Ella smiled. "Get the door, will you?"

Once Michael was out of Ella's sight, he gave himself a once over in the mirror in the hallway. Black shirt, jeans, he looked presentable enough.

He opened the door and was greeted by Sydney's radiant smile, which woke him up more thoroughly than the cup of coffee and the hot shower put together. "Hi," he said.

"Hi."

"Come on in. Ella's in there," he tilted his head in the direction of the living room.

"Sydney!" Ella exclaimed. "Thank God you're here. Look at this place, who knew my brother was such a pack rat?"

Sydney went over to the couch and picked up a CD off the floor. "Dolly Parton?" She looked up at Michael. "You listen to Dolly Parton?"

Michael's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably. Of all the CDs she could've picked, she had to pick up his guilty pleasure one.

"That's my Mom's," he said. "I don't how it got here."

Ella burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. That is so not Mom's!"

Sydney was laughing now too. "I always thought you were the alternative rock type of guy, Michael. Who knew you actually had Dolly Parton mixed in with your Coldplay?"

"Keep digging around," Ella gasped out between giggles. "Maybe you'll find Mariah Carey there somewhere."

"I thought you guys were here to help me get the place organized, not to find things with which to humiliate me with," Michael said.

"Don't be so naïve, big brother. This was the perfect excuse to go through your stuff."

Ella and Sydney grinned at each other. That secret, mischievous grin that Michael had always hated. It always, _always_ meant that they were up to something. And it was never anything good.

He thought it best to just bring up a distraction. "I'm going to order Chinese for lunch. What do you guys want?"

"Mooshoo pork," Ella said.

"Kung Pao chicken," Sydney said.

"Don't forget to order egg rolls," Ella added.

Michael went into the kitchen to order their food, hoping against hope that they wouldn't find anything else embarrassing.

No such luck. When he got off the phone with the Chinese restaurant, he found Sydney and Ella huddled together on the couch, flipping through a photo album. Dolly Parton was playing in the background.

"Very funny," Michael's voice dripped with sarcasm.

The girls looked up. "We _like_ Dolly Parton," Sydney said innocently. "Maybe later we can have Eric bring over his karaoke and you can serenade us with her wonderful music."

Sometimes, Sydney was just as bad as Ella. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye that indicated she was enjoying teasing him way too much. He might have gotten angry if she didn't look so damn cute.

"Ooh, look!" Ella squealed, pointing to one of the pictures. "Michael's naked!"

"Hey!" Michael cried.

They ignored him and giggled at the picture.

"How old is he here?" Sydney asked.

"Around two years old, I guess."

"You were so cute, Michael," Sydney grinned.

Michael's face turned red, whether it was from embarrassment or Sydney's compliment, he didn't know. Maybe it was a combination of both. He snatched the photo album away from them.

"She's right, Mikey. You _were_ cute," Ella laughed. "What happened?"

Sydney nudged Ella. "Oh, stop. Michael's still cute."

Michael flushed an even deeper shade of red. This time he knew it was from her compliment.

Michael and Sydney's eyes locked on one another and he swore she looked a little flushed as well. The girls' laughter subsided and suddenly the room was quiet, an awkward quiet. Only the soft sounds of Dolly Parton's singing broke through the silence.

_Knock knock knock._

Sydney shot up from the couch. "That must be the Chinese. I'll get it."

Michael and Ella watched as she practically ran out of the room. Ella turned her gaze towards Michael and looked at him oddly, as if to ask 'what the hell was that?'.

Michael averted his eyes and mumbled something about having to pay the delivery guy to get away from her silent question.

The truth was he had no idea what had just happened. One minute Sydney was teasing him mercilessly, the next she was complimenting him. He tried not to think too much about it. It was probably nothing.

* * *

"So Michael, what exactly is this supposed to be?" Sydney held up an abstract painting he had bought in France.

"Anything you want it to be," Michael answered vaguely.

"Huh," Sydney said, eyeing the painting carefully. "All I see are weird circle shapes in bright colors. How much did you pay for this thing?"

Michael smiled. "Believe me, you don't want to know."

"Ella, what do you see?" Sydney held up the painting for her to see.

"I have no idea. Michael inherited Mom's love for art, I didn't."

"Where do you want to put this?" Sydney asked him.

"I don't know yet. Just prop it against the wall for now, I'll find a place for it later."

Two hours passed without incidence; the three of them had managed to push aside their awkwardness and get straight to work. They talked and laughed about Sydney and Ella's adventures and misadventures at school as they unpacked. Ella was talking with her usual animation, but Michael was sure he noticed her watching him and Sydney carefully.

"So where are _your_ paintings?" Sydney's question caught him off guard.

"What?"

"Come on, Michael, I know you paint. But in all the years I've known you, I haven't seen even one of your paintings."

"She has a point, Mike," Ella spoke up. "Even I've never seen any of your finished products. I was lucky if I even got to see a half-finished product."

Michael looked away from them and busied himself with arranging his CDs, the

non-embarrassing ones. His paintings were safely tucked away at the back of his closet. There was no way he was going to let anyone see them. Ever. And he told them so.

Sydney pouted. "But I bet they're really good. What's the point of painting if you're not going to let anyone admire their beauty?"

"Whoever said they were beautiful?"

"How can they not be?" Sydney argued. "_You_ painted them."

Michael stared at her, more than a little taken aback. Sydney blushed and looked away.

Ella cleared her throat. "So, um, Syd. Are you and Danny still on for dinner tonight?"

Thanks a lot, Ella, Michael thought. Thanks a whole lot.

In the course of the day he had almost forgotten that Sydney had a boyfriend. Almost.

Sydney looked at her blankly for a second and then slapped herself on the forehead. "Oh, God. Dinner, tonight. I totally forgot."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "You forgot you were having dinner with your boyfriend?"

"I--I thought it was another night. I have to go; I still have some homework to do before I start getting ready."

"Okay," Ella hugged her. "We'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right, tomorrow," Sydney gathered her things slowly.

Michael walked her to the door. "Thanks for coming over."

"No problem," Sydney smiled. "I had fun."

Michael nodded. They just stood there looking at each other; he could see something in her eyes. Something he couldn't describe.

Sydney was the first to break their gaze. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow. Drive safely, Syd."

"Thanks."

Michael waited until she was out of sight before closing the door. As soon as he turned around, Ella was right there, hands on her hips.

"What was going on between you and Sydney?"

"Nothing." He tried to step around her but she blocked him.

"That was not nothing," Ella insisted.

Michael shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bull."

Michael finally managed to get past Ella; she just followed him.

"You guys were flirting!" She exclaimed.

"We were not!"

"Yes, you were. I'm not blind you know, and I'm certainly not deaf."

Michael flopped onto the couch.

"She has a boyfriend, you know," Ella said.

"I know," he sighed.

"She's six years younger than you."

"I know."

Ella sat down next to him. "She's my best friend."

"Ella, can you just drop it?" Michael pleaded.

"No, I can't. We have to talk about this. I'm not going to let Sydney be another one of your flings."

"It's not like that."

"Michael, I have watched you break way too many women's hearts."

"So what? I'm not good enough for Sydney?"

Ella sighed. "That's not it."

"Just tell me the truth, Michael," she said. "Is it just a crush? Did you come back from Paris and realize she was hot?"

"I think I'm in love her," Michael said so softly it was almost a whisper.

Ella stared at him. "What did you just say?"

"I love her, alright? I think a part of me has always loved her, it just took me awhile to realize it."

Ella looked stunned. For once in her life, she was actually speechless.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Michael said. "She has a boyfriend."

"Danny's a good guy. He treats her well."

Michael smiled sadly. "So I don't stand a chance, huh?"

"Danny's good to Sydney," Ella said. "But he isn't good _for _her. I think she's beginning to realize that."

Michael contemplated that. Did that mean he had a chance? That Sydney was going to break up with Danny? Before he could think to ask, Ella was getting ready to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mike," she turned to leave.

"Ella!" He called out. She turned around. "You're okay with all of this?"

Ella smiled. "I really can't say I'm all that surprised," she looked at him thoughtfully for a minute. "Out of all the girls for you to fall in love with….I'm really glad it was Sydney."

"Me too," Michael admitted.

Ella left and Michael lay back on the couch. So now both his best friend and his sister he was in love with Sydney Bristow. The only person left to tell, it seemed, was Sydney herself.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! School has been absolutely hectic for the past month, but I'm still alive and officially on sem break so here's the next chapter. : )

Chapter 6

The stars were bright . They blinked down at Michael, lying on the same table in the park that he and Sydney lay on that night so long ago.

It felt like a hundred years had passed since that night, and at times it also felt like just yesterday. Michael could still remember everything as vividly as if it _had_ just happened yesterday. He remembered the glimmer of sadness in Sydney's eyes that he knew she was trying to keep in check, he remembered the warmth of her hand as it gripped his, he remembered how soft and full her lips looked even in the darkness and how much he had longed to close the small distance between them….

Michael couldn't believe that in the five years that had passed since that night, it had only recently just dawned on him that that was the night he had fallen in love with Sydney Bristow.

As much as he wanted to tell her how he felt, he didn't want to come in between her and Danny. Besides, he wasn't even sure that she felt the same way towards him. She had been avoiding him for the past month; after she and Ella had helped him get settled into his new apartment he had begun to see her less and less.

"Michael?" A voice called out in the darkness.

He knew that voice. He would recognize it anywhere.

Michael lifted his head slightly and there she was, Sydney Bristow in the flesh, standing right there in front of him. It was almost as if he had conjured her there from the sheer force of his thoughts.

"Syd? What are you doing here?"

Sydney lay down on the table beside him. "I came to find you."

"How did you even know I'd be here?" he asked her incredulously.

She just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, and turned her attention to the stars above them. "It's a beautiful night," she said softly. "It feels like forever since I've been able to see so many stars."

Michael was mesmerized. Not by the stars, but by Sydney. He watched her gaze up at the stars, the soft glow of the moonlight reflecting in her dark brown eyes, a small hint of a smile playing upon her lips. He just lay there, staring at her profile for what felt like hours. Finally, Sydney seemed to notice the intensity of his gaze and turned towards him.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.

"You're beautiful," Michael blurted out. And then he mentally kicked himself, he did _not_ just say that.

Sydney blushed and looked away. "Thank you," she said shyly.

"Syd, are you alright?" Michael asked, partly to distract her from the tension that had settled upon them like a dark cloud and partly because she had been acting strange ever since she got there.

Sydney opened her mouth to say something, closed it and then turned her head to look at him. "No," she said.

Michael's forehead wrinkled in concern. "What's the matter, Syd?"

He could see the hesitation in her eyes as she looked at him. He knew what the look on her face meant. She wanted to tell him something, but didn't know if she should. He hastened to reassure her, "You know you can tell me anything."

"I've been avoiding you," she said.

Michael didn't know what to say. He had suspected, of course, but he had managed to convince himself that she was just busy with school and Danny. But to hear her say it so matter of fact--for her to admit that she had been avoiding him on purpose--threw him for a loop.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No! No, it's not like that," Sydney hastened to add. She hesitated and then said, "Danny and I…we broke up."

Michael looked at her in disbelief. "But…why?"

Sydney shrugged again. "I've been avoiding you because I needed some time to figure things out."

Michael turned to look at the stars above. He reached up a hand to rub his forehead. What did Sydney's break-up with Danny have to do with him, and why was she telling him this now? Michael knew he should remain calm, but he couldn't stop the stab of hope that knifed through him.

Suddenly, Sydney was leaning over him, her face mere inches from his. She ran her hand gently over his cheek. Michael opened his mouth to say something and she put a finger over his lips to silence him. Then she was closing the distance between them and before Michael knew what was happening, her lips were on his. He lay there in shock for all of one second before letting instinct and the desire coursing through his body take over and kissed her back passionately.

Michael was lost, happiness surging through his body and warming every fiber of his being. Nothing in the world had ever felt so right as holding Sydney Bristow in his arms and kissing her like this. But then reality pierced through his delerium.

It was all very well and good to be kissing Sydney now, but will she regret it in the morning?

Michael reluctantly pulled away from her. "Syd, I don't think we should be doing this."

"Why not?" Sydney looked at him in confusion and then flushed red with embarrassment; she sat up and put her head in her hands. "Oh God…You don't want this…I just thought…I'm so sorry…"

"Syd…" Michael sat up and took her hands away from her face. "It's not that I don't want this--believe me, I do. But I think you need some time, I don't want to be your rebound guy. If anything is going to happen between us, I want it to be real."

Sydney smiled. All traces of doubt, embarrassment and fear left her eyes at his words. She leaned in to kiss him again, this time it was soft and gentle, full of understanding…and--he could swear--love.

"I broke up with Danny three weeks ago," Sydney confessed. "It's been over between us for awhile now. One of us should have ended it a long time ago but for some reason or another we didn't. When you came back, seeing you again, it brought back all these feelings that I thought I had left behind a long time ago. I just needed to know if you felt the same way."

"Syd, I…" Michael was speechless, utterly incapable of expressing through words what he felt.

So he kissed her, and poured everything he was feeling, all the happiness and love, into that kiss. One of his hands tangled into Sydney's hair while the other caressed her cheek tenderly.

They reluctantly broke apart, neither one of them able to stand the lack of oxygen any longer.

"Syd, I…." Michael whispered.

"Yes, Michael?" Sydney grinned.

"I love you," he said.

Sydney's grin widened. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that."

"How long exactly?"

"It seems like forever," Sydney whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Michael caught one solitary tear as it made its way down her cheek. "I love you too, Michael."

He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks; soft butterfly kisses, gently caressing her face until he finally reached her lips.

Sydney lay down on the table, pulling Michael down with her, their lips never breaking contact.

Most people believe that heaven fills the space beyond the stars. But at that moment Michael knew where heaven truly was. He had found it right there, holding Sydney Bristow in his arms and kissing her beneath the stars.

Fin

A/N: Yup, this is the end. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading and for leaving behind extremely kind reviews. And an extra special thank you to my beta Edy, without whose help this fic would not be half of what it is right now. : )


End file.
